Boiler cleaner



NOV.' 24, 1931` IN, L, SNQW 1,833,886

BOILER CLEANER 'original Filed Nov. 12, 192:5 5 sheets-sheep 1 NOY. 24, 1931. N, L. SNOW BOILER CLEANER Original Filed Nov. l2, 1923 3 Sheets-Shet 2 gmwwkw #forman l. Spaar I l l Nov. 24, l193.1. N. L, SNOW 1,833,886

- /BQILER CLEANER Original Filed Nov. l2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H Il A me/MM /form an 571 ,auf

Patented Nov. 24, 1.931-

Um'riazn STATES .PATENT-'OFFICE NORMAN I.. sNow, or NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT, .lissIciNony To DIAMOND POWER SPECIALTY conPOniiTIoN-l or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATIONOF MICHIGAN v DOILER CLEANER A Application filed November 12', 1923, Serial No. 674,344. VRenewed; Qctober 10, 19301 The invention relates to boiler' Cleaners and is designed particularly for use inboiler cleaners of that type having an intermeshing worm and worm wheel for respectively open-4 ing and closing .the valve and rotating the blower element. v

Heretofore, in boiler cleaners .ofv this type, it, has been found that the valve controlling the admission ofsteam to the blower element I0 has partially closed before-rotation of the blower element has been completed so that the full effect of the steam j ets upon the boiler tubes has not been secured, and as a consequence, the boiler cleaner has functioned in- 355 efficiently. The most common cause forthis faulty operation is the excessive friction offered to the rotation ofthe blower element such as by reason of its warping and consequent binding, in the'bearings.

With my inventiongV an unbalanced force is applied to thevalvewhen in open position and acting in a directionV oppositeto that taken by the .valve in moving to closed position whereby rotation of the blower element is necessarily completed before thejrval-ve is moved from its open position toward its closed position. Vlith this asv well as other objects in View,` the invention resides inthe novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.A

In the drawings: i Figure. 1 isa plan view of a blower unit embodying my invention;

'35 Figure 2 is a cross sect`on onthe4 line 2"-2 of Figure 1.;A l

Figure 3 is a cross section on'the line 3-#3 of Figure 2 i o Figures 4, v5 and 6 are views similar to Figure 2, but showing modified constructions'. As shown in Figures l, 2 and 3, 1 is the blowerunit and 2 the boiler. wall through which extends the blower .element 3 `having nozzles through which the cleaning fluid such r' as steam or .the like is discharged upon the boiler tubes. 4 is the worm wheel secured to the outer end of the blowerV element, and is the worm meshing with the worinV wheel`4. The shaft 6 of' this worm is journalled in the casing'? for the worin and worm wheel and extends outwardly therethrough, oneend of the shaft being coupled to suitable driving mea-ns andthe other end of the shaft being connected to the valve 8 which controls the admission ofthe steam orthe like to the blower elementf.

The valve 8 .is locatedfwithin the'vcasing 9 having the partition 10 :provided with the port 11 which lis adapted to be closed by the valve. The steam or the like enters the casing through the inlet passageway 12,`passes through the port 11 when the Vvalve is in y open position and then passes through the Y conduit 18 to thev casing lgvvhich` latter Ais located between the gearcasing 7 and the boiler walll 2. The casinglirsurround's the vportion of the blower element between the gear casing and boiler wall and com-municates withv the interior of' this blower element through the vports 15 in the blower element. The worm shaft 6 islongitudinallyV slidable in the casing,` 7 for the purposeof correspondingly moving the valve 8 to open and closed positions. `The rotationfof the worm wheel 4f inopposite `directions 4is suitably limited as by means'of the lugv 16 upon the gear casing 74 and the transverse pinl 17 upon the worm wheel engageable'with opposite sides of the lug. Under actualoperl ating conditions, the blower element is liable to stick thereby requiring considerable force i tofrotate the same. With the valve in open position' and the blower elementk in its ad- ]usted position of rotative adjustment, it has been found that upon reversing the rotation.. of the worm shaft, theA valvehas partially closed prior to the rotation of the blower element and remained in this condition untilthe rotation ofthe blower element has been completed. Thisis very ineiicientV and therefore objectionable, and to overcome/this faulty operation, I have provided an unl balanced force acting upon the valvel in a directionv opposite to thattaken iin moving the valve to closedpositiomthis unbalanced force being suficient to retain the valve in open position until the. blower element has been completely rotatednto its original position.

l As shown particularly in Figure 2, 18 100' 'i valvelin open position and compel the. rotationof' the blower element to its orlginaly position upon rotation, of "the worin shaft.

' v As soon asthe blower element has been re-A turned to its original position andthe rotation of the worm wheel is limited by its transverse 4pin 17 "coming .into contact with the stopA lug 16, the valve/will then. be re'- turned to closed position by the re-action of the teeth of the worm upon the teeth of the wormfwheel. Since the valve'movesto open position in thedirection taken by the steam or the like in entering the valve casing, the moving of the valve to open 'position before the rotation ofthe blower element is assured.

With the valve in closed positionfand the Y Figure 6, the unbalanced force is createdxby Y blower element in its normalposition,vrota vtion of )the wormshaft first causesfa longitudinal movementv of the worm by the reaction of its teeth and the teethl of the worm wheel. VVh-enthe worm comes into contact with the bushing 7! -surrounding theworm shaft kand located -within the gear housing, its longitudinalvrnovement is stopped and continued rotation of therwormy shaft then causes the blower element to rotate until limited bythe cooperating stops uponvthe worm and gearrhousing. l

In the ymodified construction kshown in Figure 4, the valve 19 for controlling the admission of steam or the like to the blower element is moved in thedirection opp osite to that takenby the'valve 8 of the above construction.V That is,'thervalve 19'is moved away from =its seat and to open position v against the force createdby'the steam whichv enters @through the inlet passageway 20 of the valve `casing 21.` `The piston 22 is connected to the valve' l9r`at its outer end, and

is slidable in the cylindrical flange 23 ofthe casing. NVithfthis arrangement, the steam or vthe like is at alltimes creating an unbalanced force upon the valve tohold the same in open position. As a consequence, when the` valve is in closed position and the blower element is in itsk initial position, movement ofthe valve toits open position is assured uponrotation of the wormshaft and longitudinalmovement ofthe worm effectedthrough the reaction between its teeth and the teethof the worm wheel. After the valve has opened and the endof the worm has come into Contact with the stop/24 within theA gear housingy and surrounding: the worm shaft, further rotation of the worm shaft causes rotation of the worm wheel and blowerf element untilV the Vcooperating stops come into contact. Upon reverse rotation of the worm shaft, longitudinal movement of the worm and consequent movement of the valve is prevented by the pressure. of the steam or the like exerted upon the piston until rotation of tlieblower element has been completed, aftergwhich the` valve is' closed by the reaction between the teeth of the worm and rworm wheel. u

In rvthe modification vshown inFigure 5', the same general arrangement of parts is presyent with the exception that the unbalanced yforce is created by a spring instead of by` the steam or the like acting upon the piston.

lAs shown, 36 is a coil spring within the gear housing 37 and surrounding the wormshaft 88; This coil rspring abuts the washer 39 at the end of the worm 40 and also the end of the gear housing, the arrangement being such that the coil spring creates an unbalanced force tending at all times to move the valve 41 secured -to the worm shaft ltoward its open position. y l f In the modifiedv construction shown fin means of gravity. In detail, 42'is a lever pivotedy intermediate its ends upon the gear housing 43. The upper end of this lever'embraces the worm shaft 44 and has an edge en gaging the transversepin 45 upon the worm shaft. The lower end of the lever is secured to the cable V46 which runs over the pulley 47 journalled uponthe arm 48 extending laterally .from the gear housing.` 49v is a weight connected tothe/'cable and of sulicient size toueXertan unbalanced forceupon the worm shaft, and consequently the valve, to tend to move the same to open position and to retain the same in open` position until t-he blower element has been returned to its original positionVf',` Y What I claim as my inventionis :k

1. In a boilerV cleaner, the combination with a blowerelementadapted'to discharge steam or the like, of a valvekfor admitting steam or the like to said blower element, common means for actuating said blower element and opening andrclosing said valve, means distinct from said valve' and in addition to said valve actuatingjmeansfor effecting an` nal'ly movablevalve for admitting steam or y the like to said blower element, an intermeshing worm wheel and worm respectively connected to said blower element and valve for actuating thelsame, means for limiting the rotation of said worm wheel in opposite directions, and a piston adapted to be subjected to the pressure of the steam, movable with said valve and arranged to effect an unbalanced force upon said valve when in open position acting in a direction opposite to that taken by the valve in moving to closed position, whereby rotation of said blower element is completed before said valve is mo-ved from open position.

3. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element adapted to discharge steam or the like, of a valve for admitting steam or the like to said blower element, cooperating members for actuating said blower element and opening and closing said valve, means for limiting the movement in opposite directions of the member for actuating said blower element, and a piston in addition to said valve operating members operated by the steam or the like when said valve is in open position, said piston being connected to said valve to transmit an unbalanced force thereto acting in a direction opposite to that taken by the valve in moving to closed position, whereby the rotation of said blower element is completed before said valve is moved from open position.

4. In a boiler cleaner, a blower element, a valve controlling the flow of cleaning fluid to the said element, means for rotating the said element and for actuating the said valve, and a member in addition to said valve actuating means connected to the said valve adapted to be acted upon by the cleaning fluid supplied to the said element to influence the actuation of the said valve to cause thesame to open before rotation of the element and to close after rotation of the element.

5. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of olea-ning fluid to the blower element, and means for actuating ysaid valve, of means separate from said valve actuating means for causing the cleaning fluid to influence the actuation of said valve by said valve actuating means.

6. In a boiler cleaner, a movable blower element, means for moving said blower element, a valve for controlling the flow of cleaning fluid to said blower element, means for moving the blower element and for actuating the said valve, and means constantly exerting a force on said valve tending to move the same independently of said valve actuating means to cause the valve to open before movement of the blower element and to close after movement of the blower element.

7. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a blower element, and a fluid passage leading thereto, of a valve controlling the fluid passage and seating under pressure of the fluid in said passage, and means for employing pressure `of the fluid to retard the Y initial seating movement of the valve.

8. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element adapted to discharge steam or the like, of a valve for admitting steam or the like to said blower element, cooperating members for actuating said blower element and opening and closing said valve, and resilient lmeans for exerting an unbalanced force upon said valve in a direction opposite to that taken by said valve in. moving to closed position whereby the valve is held from moving to closed position until the blower element has been returned to its original position.

9. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element adapted to discharge steam or the like, kof a valve for admitting steam or the like to said blower ele ment, cooperating m'embers for actuating said blower element and opening and closing said valve, and a spring for exerting an unbalanced force upon said valve in a direction opposite to that taken by said valve in .moving to closed position whereby the l valve is held from moving to closed position until the blower element has been returned to its original position.

10. In aboiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower element adapted to discharge steam or the like, of a valve fork admitting steam or the like to said blower element, cooperating members kfor actuating said blower element and opening and closing said valve, and gravity actuated means for creating an unbalanced force acting upon said valve in a direction opposite to that taken by said valve in moving to closed position, said force being suicient when the valve is in open position and the blower element is in adjusted position to compel the rotation of said blower elementto its original position before the valve is moved from its open position. A

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. 

